Pickle Recipes - 500ml glass jars
Recipe for fresh pack (unfermented) vegetable pickles - updated to July 21, 2026
Pickled Carrots - 500ml jar
Ingredients
Carrots - 1.5 to 2 lbs carrots required for each 500ml jar
Dill - I recommend fresh flower heads that have turned lime green. at this stage they will impart the best flavour and aroma. One or two heads per jar
Peppercorns - 1/4 tsp per jar. Check best before date or packed on date to verify freshness.
Optional
Garlic - 2 or 3 cloves, crushed, per jar
chili pepper flakes - 1/2 tsp per jar
Making the pickling solution:
Vinegar 5% - rule of thumb for safe vinegar / water pickling solutions is that the vinegar should be of at least 5% acidity, and that the vinegar ratio in that mix should be a minimum of 50%
Water - Soft water makes the best brine for pickles. Hard water may cause cloudiness in the brine and discolor pickles.
Pickling Salt - Pickling salt does not contain anti-caking agents or additives like iodine, which can affect the color or clarity of the pickling liquid.
Hot Water Bath or Steam Bath Process (for 6 x 500 ml glass jars):
Mix 500ml water with 500ml vinegar and 1/4 cup pickling salt. Bring to a boil stirring occasionally to dissolve salt. Multiply batch size as required.
link to steam bath canning guide at bottom of article
government recommended processing time at sea level to 1000’ above - 10 minutes. Add 5 minutes to processing time for every 1000’ above that.
Dilled Green Bean Pickles - 500ml jar
Green or Yellow Beans - 1.5 to 2 lbs carrots required for each 500ml jar
Dill - I recommend fresh flower heads that have turned lime green. at this stage they will impart the best flavour and aroma. One or two heads per jar
Peppercorns - 1/4 tsp per jar. Check best before date or packed on date to verify freshness.
Pickling solution - same as for Carrots
Optional
Garlic - 2 or 3 cloves, crushed, per jar
chili pepper flakes - 1/2 tsp per jar
processing time - same as pickled Carrots
Cucumber Pickles - 500ml jar
Ingredients to ensure crisp pickles
Calcium Chloride 1/8 tsp - add to each jar before packing with ingredients
Oak Leaves or Grape leaves (source of tannins) - add 1 to 2 leaves/jar before packing with ingredients
Dill - I recommend fresh flower heads that have turned lime green. at this stage they will impart the best flavour and aroma. add one or two heads into each jar after the calcium chloride and oak leaves
Peppercorns - 1/4 tsp per jar. Check best before date or packed on date to verify freshness.
Fresh Cucumbers - 1.5 to 2 lbs cucumbers required for each 500ml jar
Pickling solution - same as for pickled Carrots above
Optional
Garlic - 2 to 3 cloves, crushed, per jar
chili pepper flakes - 1/2 tsp per jar
Note on preserving the texture of Cucumbers
cut 1/4 inch off the blossom and stem ends in order to remove enzymes that might soften the cucumber during processing
If you want to accumulate smaller quantities that you pick each day until you have enough for a batch, cut the blossom ends off and store them in a bowl of water in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. I have tried this and found them to be crisp and tasty.
processing time - same as for pickled carrots
Method for packing and processing jars is outlined in my Steam Bath Canning Guide.
Option - Low Temperature Pasteurization Method (30 minute processing time):
The following treatment may result in a better product texture. Beforehand, determine how much water is required to bring level in canner about 1 inch above filled jars. On the day of processing fill canner with water to that level. Heat the water to between 180º to 185º F. Hot fill jars place lids (2 finger tight) and place in water bath. Maintain the water temperature at 180 for 30 minutes. Monitor with a candy or jelly thermometer every few minutes, to be certain that the water temperature is at least 180ºF during the entire 30 minutes. Temperatures higher than 185ºF may cause unnecessary softening of pickles.